Rangareddy: Vegetable market move runs into rough weather

Rangareddy: A proposal to set up an integrated vegetable market on government land at Mamidipally village in Balapura Mandal of Rangareddy district has turned into a 'tri-corner controversy' that spreads around the Jalpally municipality, the Police Department and the local people.

Tugged amid a densely populated area, this land remained vacant with no further structures visible on the ground except few abandoned police quarters on the north and three schools in a single building apart from a Mahila Bhavan on the eastern side.

While the Jalpally municipality proposed to set up an integrated vegetable market on the land in Sy No. 84, the police department claimed that the land was already allocated to the Police Housing Board Society. Cherry on the top is that, local people are also making representations to the district administration to get an approval of a college on the same land claiming that the scarcity of a facility like college in the area is depriving the local children from pursuing higher education.

It is said that a one acre of land in Survey No.84 was identified by the Municipality in the year 2021 for setting up an integrated Veg-and-non-Veg Market to facilitate the local people. A suggestion was also made to the Minister of Education Sabita Indra Reddy for appropriate approvals. Subsequently, the officials made inspections of the land for setting up of a vegetable market on the same land. However, objection was raised by the local people who want a college to be built on the same government land as having no such facility in the area is depriving their children to pursue higher studies.

Lashing out the authorities for trying to set up a vegetable market in the area instead of a college, Abdul Hameed, a local resident said, "Almost three schools are running in a single building bursting at the seams with the students. Apart from High School and Primary School, one Upper Primary school was also being run in a single structure close to open land that too without any proper facilities. All the three schools have a strength of 200 students each in a debatably narrow building. Children completing their upper primary studies are facing severe difficulties in finding a suitable college in their own area."

"We made several representations from local authorities to the Collector as well as the Minister for Education Sabita Indira Reddy," he said adding that "The minister, time and again, assured us to provide college when we raise objection over setting up of a Vegetable Market at Sy.No.84. We request the authorities, especially the Minister for Education Sabita Indira Reddy to establish a college on the land that would help the local students to pursue higher education soon after clearing their upper primary level."

However, according to a letter issued by the collector Rangareddy district on June 26, 2021, the then Tehsildar Balapur mandal has informed that as per the revenue records for the year 1955-58, a total extent of 16.36 acres of land in Sy.No.84 of Mamidipally village is recorded as 'Khrij Khata Sarkari.' However, during a physical inspection it was noticed that only an extent of one acres of land was vacant while 15.36 acres were occupied by structures. As such the open land of one acre is suitable for the construction of an integrated Veg-and-Non-Veg Market.

But, the controversy erupts on Thursday when few people erected a board on the open land. Sensing trouble, the Pahadi Shareef police geared into action and deployed a police picket at the site. When contacted, the police officer from Pahadi Shareef Police Station informed that upon receiving information that few people wilfully erected a board over the land in Sy.No.84, a police picket was deployed at the scene.

When asked about the action, the police official said that the land belongs to the police department and no one will be allowed to trespass over it. We have the evidence and proofs with us to prove our point. We even contacted the Commissioner Jalpally regarding the boards erected on the site but she fainted ignorant about the incident.

"We have already written a letter to the higher authorities and got approval for construction of a compound wall at the site. The works were already grounded and will be completed soon," the official informed.